Hot air ballooning has long been known as a means of air transportation and recreation. These balloons usually include a spherically-shaped nylon envelope and an attached basket-shaped passenger gondola. When the envelope is inflated with hot air, it provides enough buoyancy to lift the gondola.
These balloon envelopes often display bright colors and have a high degree of aesthetic appeal. It is therefore desirable to provide a miniature imitation hot air balloon for toy or display purposes. Howver, it is difficult to provide a balloon envelope which gives the appearance of a true hot air balloon envelope, without providing a hot air supply into the toy balloon envelope. Prior toy balloons have utilized a painted inflatable rubber balloon, which approximates the shape of a true balloon envelope, but does not provide the aesthetically desirable fabric-like appearance of a true balloon envelope.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide an imitation hot air balloon which approximates the appearance and characteristics of a true hot air balloon, yet does not require a supply of hot air.